Five Paris Saint-Germain players reportedly received threatening phone calls in the days before midfielder Kheira Hamraoui was attacked by two masked men with iron bars.
According to French newspaper L’Equipe, the PSG women were assigned security guards for protection after calls from a married man vowing revenge over an accusation that Hamraoui had a years-long affair with him.
The caller reportedly accused Hamraoui, 31, of ruining his life over an affair that took place in Barcelona, when she played in the city from 2018-2021.
On Wednesday, the newspaper was first to report PSG midfielder Aminata Diallo’s arrest for her connection to the Nov. 4 attack on Hamraoui. Diallo allegedly orchestrated the attack in order to get more playing time, as both defensive midfielders are vying for a starting spot.
Police have since arrested a 34-year-old friend of Diallo’s on suspicion of making the calls, which began in late October, according to the paper.
The male is reportedly already in jail for racketeering, and is suspected of making the calls from behind bars. He is described as being born in Grenoble, where Diallo grew up, and played as a junior for Olympique Lyonnais.
Police began to focus on Hamraoui’s teammates as suspects in the attack after the caller voiced personal details about her that only those close to her would know, according to the paper.
The caller allegedly spoke about a “fall” Hamraoui took at a house party thrown by another PSG player.
On the night of the attack, Hamraoui, Diallo and teammates attended a dinner, and Diallo gave Hamraoui a ride home, ESPN reported, noting that two other PSG teammates were in the vehicle.
Upon arriving at home, Hamraoui was reportedly approached by the two male assailants in balaclava ski masks and dragged out of the car. She was allegedly hit on the legs with iron bars for two minutes before the attackers fled the scene.
Hamraoui was taken to a hospital and required stitches for leg injuries. She missed PSG’s 4-0 Champions League win over Real Madrid on Tuesday, and Diallo started the match.
Diallo, 26, will reportedly remain in custody until Friday, when she is able to make her first court appearance since her arrest. She has denied allegations of her involvement in the attack during police interviews and no charges have been filed yet.
“Paris Saint-Germain take note of Aminata Diallo’s police custody this morning by the Versailles SRPJ as part of the proceedings initiated following an assault last Thursday evening against club players,” PSG said in a statement, confirming the assault.
Hamraoui reportedly has security guards inside and outside of her home. The other PSG players that reportedly received calls and security detail were not named by the outlet.